In today's Bite: Three good reasons to entertain this week

Rice pudding with pears, dulce de leche and almond crumbs. Photo / Bite magazine

Find all your favourite bits from today's Bite magazine online. Follow the hyperlinks in Jo Elwin's editor's letter and lose yourself in bite.co.nz.

If your circle of friends includes any Americans, there may well be some 4th of July celebrations happening this weekend.

Stateside it's all barbecues and picnics, here things focus more around hearty winter fare. Warrren's one-pot jambalaya is perfect for any pot-luck dinner occasion and it's one of those dishes where you can forget the rule book and make it your way, using whatever you have on hand.

Warrren's one-pot jambalaya. Photo / Bite magazine

More particular is Ray's impressive Argentinean dinner for six. His three course menu is perfect for a smart mid-winter dinner party and there's nothing tricky or scary about it. It's just fritters, followed by steak and potatoes and rice pudding - three all-time favourites with a South American flavour.

His three recipes are silverbeet and prawn fritters with chimichurri, skirt steak with creole sauce, fried potatoes and salad and rice pudding with pears, dulce de leche and almond crumbs. Fortunately Air New Zealand will be flying direct to Buenos Aires because Ray's travel stories have me wanting to get over there for a taste.

Silverbeet and prawn fritters with chimichurri. Photo / Bite magazine

Laurie Black's lamb, roast kumara and watercress. Photo / Bite magazine

We Kiwis are still celebrating Matariki and Laurie Black's lamb, roast kumara and watercress celebrates much of what is good about New Zealand. It's quick and easy, absolutely delicious and smart enough to serve to guests.

So there you have it - three jolly good reasons to entertain this week.